Marion Bartoli opened fast in the women's final, breaking Sabine Lisicki three times and winning the first set 6-1. / Glyn Kirk, AFP/Getty Images

by Douglas Robson, USA TODAY Sports

by Douglas Robson, USA TODAY Sports

WIMBLEDON, England - France's Marion Bartoli capped a remarkable resurgence from a season of turmoil by capturing her maiden Grand Slam title at Wimbledon on Saturday.

Fifteenth-seeded Bartoli defeated big-serving German Sabine Lisicki 6-1, 6-4. Lisicki had upset No. 1 Serena Williams in the fourth round but seemed unnerved by her first appearance in a Grand Slam final.

"When I started this campaign on Court 14 if you'd told me I would win I'd think it impossible," Bartoli said. "I have dreamed of this since 6 years old."

An unorthodox personality with unconventional strokes, Bartoli kept Lisicki pinned at the baseline with her two-fisted shots from both wings.

The 23-year-old German didn't help her cause with flurries of backcourt errors and off-balance service tosses, some resulting in costly double faults.

"I was just overwhelmed by the whole situation, but credit to Marion," Lisicki said. "She's been in this situation before and handled it well."

Bartoli said her previous appearance in a major final helped keep her nerves in check.

"I was there in 2007, and I missed it," said Bartoli, the runner-up to Venus Williams that year. "I know how it feels, Sabine, and I'm sure you will be there one more time. I have no doubt about it."

Bartoli, 28, is the first woman to win Wimbledon without facing a top-10 seeded player. American Sloane Stephens, seeded 17th, was the highest seed she faced en route to the title. Bartoli didn't drop a set in the tournament.

Bartoli wrestled for months before deciding to sever coaching ties with her father, Walter, her only coach since childhood. She eventually separated and struggled to find the right chemistry. Walter was on scene for the final, his first appearance at the tournament.

"My dad, who is here with me today, means so much," Bartoli said.

She returned to him in between short coaching stints in the spring but eventually hired a hitting partner, Thomas Drouet, and began working with coaches from the French Tennis Federation, including 2006 Wimbledon champion Amelie Mauresmo.

Bartoli had been a mainstay in the top 20 the last five years but hadn't advanced past the quarterfinals at any WTA tournament this season. Last month, she bowed out in the French Open's third round to No. 5 Sara Errani of Italy.

"We weren't thinking of her in any way as a contender when the tournament started," said Tracy Austin on BBC TV.

Bartoli has always marched to her own drum. Known for her quirky on-court routines, her love of cats and a self-proclaimed genius IQ, her flat stokes and quirky personality seemed at home on grass.

"It's always been a part of my personality to be different," Bartoli said. "I really embrace the fact of being a bit different and doing something that not everyone is absolutely doing.

"I actually love that part of my game ... being able to have something different. At the end of the day, when the spectators were looking at 10 matches they will remember this girl that was doing something different, playing inside the court or whatever."

In addition to reaching the final in 2007, Bartoli beat five-time winner Serena Williams in Wimbledon's fourth round in 2011 on her way to the quarterfinals.

After feuding with the FFT for years - a situation that contributed to her skipping last year's Olympics, which was held at Wimbledon - Bartoli competed in this year's Fed Cup after years of absence. She won both her matches and shed tears, according to Mauresmo.

"It was big for her," she said. "It seemed from the outside to put her in a good spirit."

Lisicki, a risk-taker with a smile as big as her game, came into the final leading in most serving statistics. But her erratic delivery on Saturday - she won 52% of her first-serve points and hit nearly as many doubles faults (5) as aces (6) - brought her to tears midway through the second set.

When she finally managed to control her emotions, she trailed 1-5 but suddenly started to show the form that had mowed down a brutal draw that included six players in the top 50 and three Grand Slam champions in Serena Williams, 2011 U.S. Open winner Samantha Stosur and 2010 French Open titlist Francesca Schiavone. She held off world No. 4 Agnieszka Radwanska in the semfinals.

Lisicki broke Bartoli in the Frenchwoman's first attempt to serve out the match and closed to 4-5, but Bartoli wrapped up the contest by holding at love in the final game, punctuating her championship with an ace out wide that drew a cloud of chalk.

"Even in my wildest dream I couldn't believe that," Bartoli said of her championship-ending ace. "Maybe a backhand winner, but not that. I've been practicing my serve for so long. At least I saved it for the best moment."

Bartoli is sixth first-time major champion in the last 14 Slams and the first from France since Mauresmo won here seven years ago.

Lisicki is the first German to reach Wimbledon final since Steffi Graf in 1999, who lost to Lindsay Davenport. The last winner was Graf in 1996.

Despite the loss, Lisicki will make about $1.2 million - not bad for a player with career earnings of $2.8 million to this point.

Bartoli gets a $2.4 million winner's share and caps off a lifelong quest.

Persistence also paid off. Bartoli won her maiden major in her 47th appearance, more than any player in history.

Still, grasping the Venus Rosewater Dish for the women's champion was almost beyond comprehension.